Seniors Lose Meal Deliveries at St. Philip’s

By Corrie M. Anders

After providing low-cost hot lunches to seniors
in Noe Valley
for nearly 15 years—most recently at St. Philip’s parish
hall—Project Open Hand
has announced it will stop delivering meals to the local site
at the end of
May.

The nonprofit organization notified
participants in the meal
program, also known as the Noe Valley Senior Center, early
last month.

“We are devastated,” said Bettina Lord, 70, a
longtime
participant. “We don’t really know where to go. The other
places are hard to
get to, and we like our coordinator,” she said, referring to
site coordinator
Wendy Cohen, who has managed the program for eight years.

According to Maria Stokes, a spokesperson for
Project Open Hand,
the St. Philip’s location has experienced steadily declining
attendance over
the last two years.

During the first three months of this year,
Stokes noted, the
site attracted only a dozen or so daily attendees—below the
number needed to
maintain deliveries. At least 30 seniors must participate
under the guidelines
of the San Francisco Department on Aging and Adult Services,
which each year
earmarks funding for Project Open Hand and other senior lunch
programs across
the city.

Project Open Hand began its meal operation in
September 1998 at
the Noe Valley Ministry at 1021 Sanchez St. In 2010, the Noe
Valley Senior
Center relocated to St. Philip’s, 725 Diamond St., after the
Ministry was
shuttered for renovations.

With Project Open Hand leaving Noe Valley in
June, seniors
needing a free or low-cost meal (suggested donation $2) will
have to travel to
other spots. The closest sites to Noe Valley are the Castro
Senior Center at
110 Diamond St. and the 30th Street Senior Center at 225 30th
St. (lunch
provided by On Lok Lifeways).